The Baldur's Gate 3 Arcane Turrets are strange, magical automated turrets that fire on any character who gets too close, but do they have a weakness? Can they be turned off? Is it even worth trying to get past them? The answer to all three of those questions is yes, though it might take a little time to prepare properly if you don't want to get shot to pieces trying to get past them. We'll explain how to beat the Arcane Turrets in Baldur's Gate 3 below, as well as how to find the option to shut them all down in one go.
How to destroy the Arcane Turrets in Baldur's Gate 3
The Arcane Turrets in Baldur's Gate 3 are weak to Lightning Damage, losing double health when hit by it. LIghtning is generally the purview of spellcasters, and even then can be pretty situational and hard to obtain. Here's a few examples of things that can do Lightning Damage:
- The Shocking Hands cantrip
- Witch Bolt spell (1st level)
- Breath weapon of a Blue Dragonborn
- Arrow of Lightning (rare magic ammunition)
- Chromatic Orb (1st level spell)
- Lightning Bolt (3rd level spell)
Alternatively, while not weak to it, the turrets have no resistance to Bludgeoning or Radiant Damage. If you've reached the point where Shadowheart's cantrips have increased in power, you can just have her repeatedly cast Sacred Flame on them from a distance - it may take a few shots to kill them, as their "Sturdy" quality offers significant damage reduction, but over time they'll eventually break. Repeat this process until you can reach the Arcane Tower (with two more Turrets waiting to shoot you in the entrance lobby).
How to shut down the Arcane Turrets and use the Arcane Tower Power Generator
If you want to find the off switch for the Arcane Turrets and shut them down permanently, you need to get inside the Arcane Tower first. Once inside, this is how to turn off the Arcane Turrets.
- Use Feather Fall to leap safely out of the West side of the building to the garden below.
- Pick up a Baldur's Gate 3 Sussur Bloom from the glowing blue tree at the edge of the garden.
- Use the garden door to get back into the lowest level of the Arcane Tower.
- Inside is a Power Generator - interact with it and place the Sussur Bloom inside.
- This will power up the Arcane Tower, turning on all the lights, activating the elevator, and - paradoxically - deactivating all of the Arcane Turrets throughout the area.
This gives you free rein of the tower, including being able to reach the Baldur's Gate 3 Bernard NPC at the top - who, without spoiling things, is quite a character.
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